Construction Transmittals, Submittals & RFI Software

Behind every big commercial construction project is an even bigger trail of paper works in Transmittals, Submittals and RFI ( Request for Information ). Before any construction takes place whether, in the residential or commercial setting, hundreds if not thousands of these documents are exchanged back and forth throughout the construction process from inception to end, and can cost much time and money.

In fact, Navigant Construction Forum together with Nigel Hughes, Megan Wells, Christopher Nutter, and James Zack Jr put together a comprehensive review of RFI’s and found out that each of these documents cost about an average of $1080 per review and response.

But, what are
transmittals, submittals, and RFi in the construction industry? Why are they
important, and how can they be streamlined so that they are more efficient? To
answer these, we must first define what these terms are.

CONSTRUCTION SUBMITTAL

A construction
submittal is a written or physical information submitted by the contractor to
the general contractor to the general contractor. This information is submitted to the design
team for approval before they are made and delivered to the project. Submittals are usually for the architect and
engineer to make sure that they corrected products and quantities will be
installed in the project. This information includes, but are not limited to:

Product cut sheets identifying the manufacturer

Model number and manufacturer’s specifications

Shop drawings that contain detailed dimensions and installation

requirements

Color and finish choices as provided by the manufacturer’s color
charts

Finish Products Components

CONSTRUCTION TRANSMITTAL

The easiest way to
define a transmittal in construction is like a “packing slip” to a document,
drawings, goods, materials, samples etc. that are transported between the
people that are involved in a project.
The contents of a transmittal document changes depending on the
situation, but usually the details can include:

Sent Date

Details of the sender, company name, and recipient

Project name

Reasons for sending

Deadlines and actions needed to be taken by the recipient

List of files sent

CONSTRUCTION RFI

RFI stands for
Request For Information and is used during all throughout the process of the
construction project right from the initial information gathering phase and
right up to the final stages of construction. The main purpose of an RFI in
construction is to bridge information gaps, eliminate any confusion, and
capture project decisions. RFI’s are typically used to clarify, but not limited
to the following: design drawings, specifications, standards, and contracts.

An RFI raised and
answered and has been distributed to the stakeholders is generally accepted as
a change to the scope of work unless further approval is needed. RFI’s are
essentially communication that makes the construction work run smoother.

THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSMITTALS, SUBMITTALS, AND RFI

Transmittals,
submittals and RFI’s sound simple in definition, but in reality these documents
especially RFI’s are anything but simple. These documents are time-consuming
and detail driven. In a study done by Navigant in an analysis of over 1300 construction
projects all over the world that had over 1 million RFI’s found out the
following:

It takes an average of 9.7 days for an RFI response

It cost an average of $1080 per RFI review and Response

A staggering 21.9% of RFI received no response

These documents are
costly and most importantly a no response rate is a recipe for a potential
dispute in a project. And Navigant believes a lack of a formalized procedure
especially in RFI’s is one of the main cause of why so many of them go
unanswered.

To resolve, this it
is recommended that construction companies invest in an RFI management software
in addition to making sure that best practices are implemented. An RFI software
can help your company keep make effective RFI’s as well as keep track of the
RFI’s. However, with all the
construction rfi software out there, how do you choose the best company that’s
skilled in rfi software development.

To help you, here is
a short list of the software in the market that can help you in your company’s
transmittal, submittals and RFI needs.

CONSTRUCTION TRANSMITTALS, SUBMITTALS,
&RFI SOFTWARE

Procore

Consistently on the
list of the top Project Management solutions, Procore can handle different
construction project types down from retail up to the industrial complex.
Procore can help improve productivity by simplifying documentation and
communication in between the field and the office.

Procore’s RFI tool is designed to keep projects
running easily by keeping RFI’s organized in their secure central storage
system, and, easily accessible for all involved.

Its Transmittals tool in Procore allows team members the capability to keep documented records
of any project related communication. It also allows the creation and
distribution of transmittals to any recipients as well as export transmittals
as PDF.

Procore’s Submittal Tool allows you to add shop drawings, organize submittal
logs by division, and even attach pages from product catalogs. With this, you
will always be in control and well informed on the current status of your
submittals as well as who needs to take action.

PlanGrid

Plan
Grid is a web-based construction management software that’s known for the first
to offer end-to-end RFI platform which allows users to execute a process-driven
RFI where supplier’s capabilities would be clearly spotted so that you can
jumpstart on blueprints. Another great
feature that’s good on this software is its ability to handle thousands of
admin licenses. This means that data access is not tied to a device, a useful
feature when you lose your device or your hard drive crashes.

GradeBeam

GradeBeam is a web-based project
information, bid management and communication platform designed to allow
concentrated management of critical project information in the pre-construction
phase of the construction project. It’s built to cater to the needs of
construction professionals like general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers,
and distributors.

GradBeam can handle a big amount of data like ITB’s, drawings, specs, RFIs, RFI replies, purchase, specs and notes all throughout a project’s lifespan. It can also integrate with Bid Organizer and QPM to help you stay on top through all the construction bid phase.